Twinned Souls
by dead marionette
Summary: Six years flew by. Lives intertwined together. Will two souls be finally together? SxC? a bit of KxL Chapter 14 and ... the last chapter is up! An additional chapter introducing the new story or sequel...Silver Tears Of The Blue Sky...
1. Different Lives

**Just on a side note: I don't own Gundam Seed/Destiny. Felt like doing this fanfic after reading most of the Gundam Seed/Destiny fanfic done by others. Also I don't own the song for .hack/Twilight.

* * *

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**ORB**

She stared up at the bright yellow moon as she sat on the windowsill of her bedroom window. The moon glowed eerily as she laid her head against the window frame. It had been six years now and Cagalli Yula Athha was now a woman of 24. Unconsciously she fingered the necklace at the base of her neck as she wistfully remembered the past. Pulling her gaze away from the moon, she gazed down upon the place she called home.

"I wonder what he is doing now?" she whispered. This was a question she had been avoiding for six years now. Sighing deeply, she moved away from the window as she knew the four walls of her bedroom could not answer her back.

Across the ocean, another was admiring the moon as well.

* * *

"Cagalli, Cagalli," a voice whispered in her ear. She stirred, mumbling. "Cagalli, Cagalli, wake up," the voice persisted.

"Just a few more minutes," she mumbled, turning her back to the voice. She heard a harrumph sound and the next thing she knew, her sheets were pulled roughly away from her. Feeling the tremendous cold, her eyes shot wide open. "What the -" she started to shout as she sat up.

Moving her head, she saw her brother grinning down on her. Realizing that it was only her brother, she groaned and punched her brother on the arm. "What did you do that for?" she asked, glaring at her brother who was rubbing his arm.

"In case you haven't notice, it is already morning and someone is late," he said, placing his hands on his hips. Catching his meaning, she literally jumped out of the bed and took her robe. Her brother shook his head as she carelessly wore her robe. As she walked to the bedroom door, she saw that it opened and her sister-in-law walked in.

"Have you wake -" she started to say when she saw Cagalli briskly walked past her.

"Morning! Sorry but got to go!" Cagalli threw her words over her shoulder at her sister-in-law.

Her sister-in-law shook her head as she smiled. She turned and saw her husband standing beside her. "Thank goodness you woke her up just in time," she said as her husband slid an arm around her waist. She looked up and saw her husband smiled.

"Well, you know how it is."

"Kazuya, you and Rosalynn stay at the school until I or Aunt Cagalli come and pick you," Lacus said, while gently ruffling his dark brown hair. Her son nodded and took a golden-haired girl by the hand and walked into the school. Before they entered, they turned back and waved back at Lacus and Cagalli.

"Bye Mommy!" shouted the children. Lacus and Cagalli waved back at them. Seeing the children had entered the school, both women turned and walked back to the car where Kira was waiting for them.

**PLANT**

He stared out of his room's window as he leaned back against his chair. He heard a knock on the door and heard it opened. "Chairman, your car is here," his secretary said. Sighing, he leaned forward and stood up. Turning to face her, he nodded and his secretary closed the door behind her.

**ORB **

She stared at the papers in front of her as she tapped her pen lightly against the surface of the table. A knock on the door was heard. As she looked up, her sister-in-law popped her head into the room.

"Busy?" she asked. Cagalli rolled her eyes and threw her hands up.

"**YOU CAN'T IMAGINE! GOD!**" Cagalli exploded. She then started to rage off. "**OF ALL THE THINGS! WHY CAN'T THEY BE CLEARER ABOUT THIS SORT OF STUFF! IF I COULD JUST GET MY HANDS ON THOSE DAMN MINISTERS -**"

"Lunch?" Lacus asked in the midst of her ranting. Cagalli stopped her ranting and smiled at her sister-in-law eagerly.

"**LET'S GO!**"

**Somewhere in ORB **

She stared at all of people walking pass the restaurant. "So how is the preparation for the Peace Ball?" asked Lacus who was seated across her. Pulling her gaze from the streets and faced Lacus.

"Everything is going as planned. Right now, all we need is the reply from PLANT," she said, avoiding Lacus's gaze and instead, stared down at her meal. She felt her friend's hand atop her own and looked up. She smiled at the concern in her friend's bright blue eyes. "It's okay. I'm all right," Cagalli assured Lacus. But in her heart, it was otherwise.


	2. Remembrance

**PLANT**

He looked out of the window and stared at the cars passing by. He heard his friend, Commander Yzak, rambling on about some political event.

"Are you listening?" Yzak asked. He turned and faced a silver-haired man whose blue eyes were narrowed.

"You were talking about some ball," he lazily answered, turning back to face out of the car window.

Yzak sighed and looked at his comrade, Dearka. His friend shrugged and passed an envelope to him.

Suddenly, a white envelope was thrust towards him quite roughly. He looked at Yzak with annoyance.

"Read it," he was instructed. Having no choice, he opened the envelope and took out an invitation.

'Chairman Zala, we welcome you to our annual Peace Ball. This Peace Ball is organized in honour of the peace treaty signed by the Earth Alliance, Orb and Zaft. We hope that you are able to make it for the Peace Ball.

Sincerely, Ms Cagalli Yula Athha.'

He stared at her name. Calmly, he placed the invitation back into its envelope and returned it back to Yzak. "Since it is about the peace treaty, I guess I have no choice," Athrun said and turned back to face the outside world. Yzak grinned at Dearka who grinned back.

Though he was looking out at the cars and people, he was not really looking at them. Instead, he saw an image of a certain pretty golden-haired girl whose golden amber eyes lit up when she smiled.

**ORB**

"Ms Athha?" her secretary called out while holding the door opened. Cagalli looked up from the documents she was holding and narrowed her eyes at the intrusion. "Two letters have arrived from PLANT," the secretary said, immune to the glare that was given to her. She had been working for Cagalli for nearly six years now and had already known what the Princess of Orb was like.

Cagalli shuffled the papers in her hands and immersed herself into the documents again. "Just place them somewhere on the desk," she said, waving her hand. The secretary shook her head and did as she was told.

Just as she was about to close the door, she turned back to face her employer. "Isn't it time for you to pick up Kazuya and Rosalynn?" she asked. She saw her employer looked at her blankly and then at the clock. Outside, the staff jumped in shock as a loud scream erupted from the office.

"**DAMN! I'M LATE! WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME EARLIER!**" Cagalli shouted as she stood up, pushing back the chair roughly. Ranting again, she took the letters, her coat and keys and whizzed past the secretary. As she briskly walked, she took out her cell phone. "I'm so sorry. I'm on my way down right now," Cagalli apologized. Seeing that the elevator had arrived, she quickly ended their conversation and entered the elevator.

Exiting the elevator, she quickly walked towards the lobby and saw a young man with black hair waiting for her near a smart-looking car. His back was turned towards her. The moment she was outside, he turned and his bright red eyes shone with amusement.

"Wow, that was fast. What did you do? Fly down?" he joked. For that, he received a punch on the arm.

"Har har. Very funny. Come on, they are waiting for us," Cagalli said once she had gotten back her breath. She opened the car door and looked at her companion. "Anyway, thanks for the ride. I owe you a treat," she said. Her companion waved it off and told her to climb in to which she did.

* * *

Kazuya stared at the cars whizzing past as he placed his chin on both of his palms. Rosalynn followed suit. Suddenly, Rosalynn lifted up her head. Kazuya saw a black car drove in and stopped. A car door opened, his aunt stepped out and walked towards them. Both children quickly took their bags and ran towards her.

Cagalli squatted down and hugged the children. She smiled at one pair of deep green eyes then to another pair of bright blue eyes. "Ready?" she asked. Both children nodded and she let them go. She looked as the children hugged her companion and then entered the car. Seeing them seated safely in the backseat, she and the black-haired man joined them.

**Athha Residence**

She stepped out of the car and quickly entered the mansion, leaving Shinn behind. She saw Lacus and Kira climbing down the stairs. She let Kazuya go who ran up to his parents. Kira lowered himself and held the little boy in his arms while Lacus smiled at her son.

Cagalli smiled at the happy family in front of me. "If only - " she whispered. Tears threatened to fall.

"Cagalli? What's wrong?" Lacus called out, startling her. She smiled and shook her head.

"Honey, why don't you go and put your schoolbag in your room? Later there will be a nice surprise for you and Kazuya," she said. The girl gleefully laughed.

"Chocolate ice cream with chocolate sprinkles and hot chocolate!" her daughter and nephew exclaimed. With that, the little girl sprinted off with her cousin. Cagalli shook her head smiling.

Lacus stared at Cagalli's back as she quickly climbed the stairs. She heard the door closed and saw Shinn near the entrance.

"Hey Shinn," Kira called, walking up to the black-haired man. She saw Shinn smiled.

* * *

She leaned her back against the wooden texture of her bedroom door. "Cagalli, you got to put yourself together. He is never ever coming back to your life," she scolded herself, closing her eyes.

She looked down and realized that she was still wearing her coat. As she took off her coat, two white envelopes fell out of the coat's pocket. Flinging her coat carelessly over a chair, she picked up the two envelopes and sat on her bed.

Her heart started to beat fast as she stared at the handwriting on the front. Opening one of them, she read the contents. Finally, she flopped back on her bed and stared at the ceiling. Athrun was back in Orb and here to attend the Peace Ball. "And here you thought he had come back for you," a little voice in her head said. Outside, the moon rose up as a tear dropped.

**Hotel**

He stared out of the window while behind him Yzak and Dearka argued. Irritated by the noises they were making, he drained them out. He never thought that he would return back here.

"Hey Yzak. Were there any news about the Princess of Orb back at PLANT?" he asked out of the blue. Hearing his question, both of his friends kept quiet. Looking at each other, they had no idea on how to answer.

"Why do you want to know?" his friend asked. He shrugged.

"Well, there were news about her still single even at her age and people trying to match make her. Another was about her and Shinn Asuka being an item," Dearka finally said. "Ouch! What you do that for?" he yelped when Yzak nudged him at his side. But he had already drained them out again.

"Shinn huh?" he thought. His eyes widened at that name. "What!"

* * *


	3. Peace Ball

She tapped her foot as she waited for Lacus to decide. When that did not work, she sighed real loud. But still, Lacus ignored her as she looked at the two dresses in her hands. "Lacus. Will you** EVER **decide?" she asked, exasperated. Lacus turned her head slightly and chuckled. She saw Lacus signaling for a sales lady and giving her one of the dress. The other she placed back on its rack.

"Finally," she said, making a move to leave.

"Hold on. It's your turn now," she heard Lacus said. She froze and slowly turned.

"What did you just said?" she slowly made out the words. Lacus calmly looked at her and smiled.

"Your. Turn. To. Find. A. Dress," she spelled out.

"**WHAT! NO WAY AM I WEARING A DRESS! WHAT KIND OF IDIOT DO YOU THINK I AM! I WILL NEVER WEAR A DRESS! YOU HEAR ME! NEVER!**"she exploded. Suddenly, her ranting was cut off as a hand clamped onto her shoulder. She turned slowly and saw a smiling face framed by golden brown hair. Another hand clamped her other shoulder. Again, she turned. This time, it was a young woman whose smile did not exactly reached her eyes as her dark brown hair framed her face. Her face showed fear.

"Hi Cagalli," the two ladies greeted. Cagalli struggled to get free but was in vain.

"Hey Mirillia. Shiho," she heard Lacus greeted the ladies.

"**NO!**" she cried out as she was dragged by Shiho and Mirillia.

"Don't you look stunning?" all three of her friends squealed. Her cheeks turned red as she walked out of the changing room. She looked at the full length mirror and had to admit that the dress was really flattering. Not too much cleavage was shown but enough to suggest. The skirt swished against her legs as she turned.

"Do I really have to wear this?" she asked. All nodded. "Can't I just wear my uniform dress?" she asked. As one, her sister-in-law and friends shook their heads. She sighed as she threw her hands up in the air. With that, she entered the changing room.

"All right! Are we done yet?" Cagalli asked once she stepped out of the changing room.

"Yup. Just as soon as the sales lady rings us up," Lacus said. While her friends were busy inside, Cagalli wore her dark glasses and walked out of the store to take some fresh air. Once outside, she leaned back against the glass pane and observed the scene. Though she was loved by all in Orb, one must never be too careful with these much fans.

"So will you?" she heard a man said, Turning her head slightly, she saw a man knelt down in front of a young woman with a small black box in his hands.

"Yes!" she heard the woman squealed and hugged her lover. Despite herself, she smiled as a small pang of longing shot through her heart. She remembered how he slid a ring through her fourth finger of her left hand. She also remembered how he looked away blushing while she giggled. Again unconsciously, she fingered her necklace.

She snapped out of her nostalgic trance when she heard the door to the store opened. Turning her head, she saw Lacus, Shiho and Mirillia chatting as they walked up to her.

**Somewhere in ORB **

"So he is coming back here?" Mirillia asked, her blue eyes shone with interest. Lacus nodded while Cagalli played with her food absent-mindedly.

"Yeah. For the Peace Ball," Cagalli replied without looking up. She missed the concerned look that her friends gave to Lacus who shook her head sadly.

"Since he is here, this means that Dearka and Yzak are back too," Cagalli wickedly said, looking up at her two now blushing friends.

**Peace Ball **

The place was already when he arrived at the Athha residence. Giving his coat to the servant stationed there, he looked around searching.

"Who are you looking for?" Yzak asked him, stepping beside him. He did not reply. Suddenly, he heard his name being called.

"Athrun!" a lovely pink-haired woman called out, walking quickly to his side.

"Meyrin," he greeted, linking his arm with hers. She smiled. He turned and saw Kira and Lacus near the entrance of the mansion.

"Come on," he said, walking up to his best friend and his wife. But the reaction that he received from them was unexpected.

Lacus smiled graciously at the guests. Suddenly, she felt her husband stiffened at her side. Following his gaze, she saw that Athrun, Meyrin, Yzak and Dearka were coming towards their direction. "Kira -" she said in a warning tone.

"Don't worry," he assured her, smiling at her. "I'm not going to do anything to him….yet."

He smiled at his best friend but his smile faltered .An unreadable expression was plastered on Kira's face while Lacus looked worried.

"Athrun," Kira began in a low tone. "What in hell are you doing back here?"

"What? I was invited for the Peace Ball, so here I am. What else?" he answered back with a question. Behind him Yzak and Dearka exchanged uneasy glances.

"Is that so? Well, that better be the only reason you are here. Or else," Kira warned him. Lifting his head slightly, he plastered a fake smile. "Welcome Chairman Zala. It is nice to see you again. I hope that you enjoy the ball," he greeted, his amethyst eyes narrowed while Athrun blinked at him.

* * *

Accepting a glass of wine from a waiter, he stared at the room. It had been a long time he stepped inside the mansion again.

"Hey Athrun," Dearka called out as he walked towards his friend with a golden brown-haired woman at his side. "Where's Meyrin?"

"Dearka, Mirillia. Not too sure. She went off when she saw some friends of hers," he replied. When the couple got closer, he saw that Mirillia had taken a cool look instead of the pleasant one she had earlier on.

"I got to go. Yzak is in trouble again," Dearka said, pointing at a flustered Yzak and a red-faced Shiho.

Athrun nodded while Mirillia returned the gesture coolly.

"Wonder what is wrong with everyone? First it was Kira and now Mirillia. What next?" he thought. Suddenly, the whole room grew quiet while the media readied their cameras.

Lacus came forward, playing the hostess. "Ladies and gentlemen. We welcome you to the annual Peace Ball. I thank you for taking time from your busy and tight schedules to come to our humble nation, Orb. And now, I present to you our very own Princess, Ms Cagalli Yula Athha and her escort and our very own Commander, Mr Shinn Asuka, " Lacus introduced.

The media started clicking away their cameras at the very top of the stairs where Cagalli stood with Shinn. His mouth turned dry when he saw her in a stunning dress which he had never thought that she would ever wear. Just as he remembered, her golden amber eyes lit up and shone as she smiled while walking down the stairs with Shinn. His grip tightened around the wine glass.

* * *


	4. Princess and Her Commander

* * *

She took a deep breath while she waited at the very top of the stairs.

"Don't worry. You are going to be fine," Shinn assured her, giving her one of his easy-going smiles. She weakly smiled back. "Beside, you look great in a dress," he added. She blushed as she punched him in the arm. Suddenly she heard Lacus' voice. She took another deep breath as she linked her arm with Shinn's.

"It's show time."

He gazed at the beautifully lit garden from the balcony. He smiled up at the yellow moon. "Seems like she is as spunky as she ever was," he thought, remembering the speech she gave earlier.

"- I ask you, who would protect the precious lives that now fall in our hands. If not us, then who?" she ended her speech. All of the guests nodded in agreement while several discussed among themselves.

His smile fell when he remembered what the media had said after her speech.

"- it would seem that we might be hearing wedding bells soon in Orb. It had been a while since we had a very festive event since the marriage of the Head Representative Kira Yamato who happens to be the twin brother of our Princess and Ms Lacus Clyne, the famous songstress. We wish luck to the Princess and the Commander. Hope their love stays strong."

"Cagalli and Shinn huh?" he said, particularly to no one. Suddenly, the door of the balcony opened and closed. He turned and saw Shinn walking up beside him. "Shinn."

"Athrun," the black-haired man called out. Silence filled the air as both gazed out at the garden. "So, are you here just for the ball or something else?" he asked.

Athrun glanced at him at the corner of his eyes. "Just here for the ball," he replied. He heard the young man let out his breath. "What are you doing back in Orb? I thought you hated this nation and never coming back," he said. He felt the young man turned and rested his elbows on the railings.

"I thought so too. But your words kept me thinking. I realized that Cagalli was not to blame for the deaths of my family. I realized that she had lost far more than I have. Both sets of parents taken away from her, the nation in damages. So I came back to help her," Shinn replied. Athrun turned and rested his own elbows on the railings. Through the full-length curtains that draped over the door, he gazed at a certain golden-haired young woman.

Cagalli smiled and shook hands with several of the guests. Finally, she sneaked away from them and towards Lacus and Kira. Standing directly behind her tall brother, she sighed and massaged her shoulders.

"That bad huh?" she heard her brother threw the words over his shoulders without looking at her.

"You can't imagine," she whispered lest someone heard. She sighed and leaned against the wall. "By the way, have you seen Shinn?" she asked. Her brother shook his head.

"I think he went out to the balcony," Lacus replied. She contemplated the information.

"Do you think it's okay if I go and check on the kids?" she asked.

"I will appreciate that," Lacus said.

"Sure. But be sure to come back here once everything is okay. We wouldn't want anyone to report you missing like last time. Your poor older brother had to take care of everything," her brother said. She glared at his back. If looks could kill, her brother would be writhing on the ground in pain by now.

"For your information, I fell asleep beside Rosalynn. And no one called the police or anything like that. Just some panicked saying that I was kidnapped. That was all," she retorted back. "And **I'm **the elder one," she said, having the last say. With that, she pushed off the wall and sneaked up the stairs.


	5. Sweet Child

She smiled at the peaceful look that her nephew had on while sleeping. Kissing him on the cheek, she brushed his dark brown hair as she tucked him in. With that, she walked out of the room and closed the door quietly behind her. Moving on to the next room, she opened the door slightly. Se sighed and shook her head. Inside, her daughter was still awake and on her bed, playing with her toys.

Opening the door, she walked in. "Rosalynn Clyne Athha. What do you think you are doing? Are you not supposed to be in bed hours ago?" she asked, exaggerating the time a bit. She put on a stern look as her daughter looked up at her, shoving the toys aside.

"I could not sleep. Besides, I was waiting for you to come," her daughter argued, smiling cheekily. She sighed and shook her head again. She knew she could not resist the sweet smile that her daughter had. Motioning for her daughter to scoot, she sat on the side of the bed. The moment she was seated, her daughter moved into her arms.

She laid her head on her daughter's soft golden hair as she rocked both of them back and forth.

'Open your heart

To eternal dimension

Open your heart

For love and affection

Open your heart

Your every emotion

Open your heart

For tears and rejection

Come to the grace

Of heaven's eternal fantasy

Come to the grace

Of earthly devoted harmony'

She began to sing softly. Finally, she felt her daughter's body grew limp and knew that she had fallen asleep. She smiled as she placed her daughter back on the bed, tucking her in. Brushing her golden bangs aside, she gazed at her daughter. Finally, she snuggled beside her daughter and closed her eyes.

* * *

He looked around the corridor, completely lost. He sighed. God, the Athha residence was like a maze. Turning a corner, he came to new corridor. He looked around while walking, trying to find his way down. He looked to his left and saw a light coming through a door slightly opened. Curious, he walked up the door. Peeping through the gap, he saw Cagalli asleep on a bed fully clothed. Silently walking into the room, he saw her arms were wrapped around a small girl whose hair were the exact same color as hers.

As he looked on, he could hear his heart beating furiously. With quick movements, he walked out of the room. With no knowledge of where he was going, he found himself walking aimlessly. Seeing a door in front, he opened it only to find himself face to face with Shinn.


	6. Athrun, Cagalli, Shinn

**Changed the song to one of their own, Field of Hope. Oh yes, changed this chapter a bit. Finally decided my mind on what this story will be..read on to find out. By the way, thanks for the great review!**

* * *

Kira smiled at the guests, nodding slightly to acknowledge them. While he did that, his eyes scanned the room. Inward, he sighed. "Not again," he whispered. Lacus, by his side, heard him.

"Guess you have to find her again," she whispered back to her husband. Her husband nodded.

"But I can't just leave you here with the guests," he said, searching the room again. Finding the person he was looking, he gestured for Shinn to come over. The black-haired commander walked over to him. "Shinn, have you seen Cagalli anywhere?"

"No. Don't tell me. She did it again?" Shinn groaned, smacking his forehead. Kira grinned sheepishly. "Don't worry. I'll find her before anyone finds out," Shinn assured Kira, sighing.

"Thanks."

* * *

After assuring Kira that he would get Cagalli, Shinn climbed the stairs to the children's rooms. As he walked towards the door in front, he saw the door opened and Athrun stood before him. Both blinked at each other, stunned. Leaning his head away, he saw Rosalynn's bedroom door was ajar.

"Athrun, what are you doing here?" he asked calmly. At his question, Athrun came to life.

"Lost my way," he said, grinning sheepishly. Shinn walked towards the room, gesturing for Athrun to follow. He walked in the room and found Cagalli sleeping peacefully beside Rosalynn. He smiled when he saw how both mother and daughter looked like angels sleeping together.

"Who – whose daughter is that?" he heard Athrun asked. Taking a deep breath, he walked up to Cagalli and bowed down near her ear.

"Cagalli, Cagalli," he soothed. She stirred but did not wake up. "Cagalli Yula Athha," he called out her full name. Finally, she cracked one eye opened, then attempted to fall back to sleep. "Oh no you don't. Cagalli Yula Athha, if you fall asleep now I'm going to do something that you will regret," he said. He heard a soft snicker and saw she closed her eyes again.

With that, he picked her up and carried her over his shoulder. He heard her gasp while he laughed.

* * *

She felt his arms around her and the next thing she knew, she was over his shoulder. She gasped. "Shinn Asuka, put me down right now," she said. Only his laughter answered her. "Shinn, come on. You know I hate this," she whined softly. Finally, she was abruptly placed down. Without any warning, she punched him real hard on the arm. Cagalli told him to hush when he yelp lest Rosalynn woke up.

"Hey! Is that how you thank a friend?" she heard him groaned softly while she wiped her hands clean. She snickered and turned, only to spot Athrun near the door.

"A – Athrun," she stammered. Millions of thoughts whirled in her head as apprehension rushed through her body. In an attempt, she tried to block his view from Rosalynn.

* * *

He stared as the black-hairedman picked her up like a sack. He continued to stare as Shinn placed Cagalli firmly on the ground and she punched him on the arm. When she finally turned and saw him, he saw her eyes widened with recognition and … fear. This intrigued him and yet distressed him.

"A – Athrun," he heard her stammered. It was then her action that really intrigued him. She tried to block his view from seeing the little girl who was sleeping.

"What are you doing here?" she asked.

"I got lost and ended up here," he replied. She turned to face Shinn nervously who patted her shoulder in comfort. Shinn then maneuvered both him and Cagalli out of the room. He looked on as Shinn closed the door with a soft click.

* * *

She allowed Shinn to push her out of the room, her heart beating furiously hard that she thought all of them could hear it in the quiet empty corridor. "What am I going to do? What to say?" she thought, the two thoughts kept repeating themselves. She saw Shinn glanced at her with concern.

Taking a deep breath, she opened her mouth to speak but Athrun walked away and out through another balcony. Numbly, she just stared at his back while there was a pressure at the small of her back. She turned and dumbly looked at Shinn nodding for her to follow Athrun. With that, she grabbed Shinn by the hand and walked up beside Athrun.

For a moment, all three stared at the yellow moon above.

"How is everything in PLANT?" she asked, breaking the silence.

"Everything is going as according to plan. Though we still have some people who believed in my father's idea of life, most supported the idea of peace," he answered. She looked down at her hands on the railing.

"How is Meyrin?" she asked nervously. As she was looking down at her hands, she missed the glance that Athrun gave her and that Shinn was looking.

"She's fine. In fact, she is here at the ball," he said.

"I take it she came with you?"

"You could say that."

Again, silence filled the air.

"That child. What is her name", she heard Athrun asked, breaking the silence.

"Rosalynn," she answered. This time, tension filled the air. Unable to take the silence anymore, she glared at Athrun. "Why don't you just ask who is the father!" she said, anger in her voice. Shinn stared at her back, concern in his eyes.

* * *

"So who is the father?" Athrun asked. He stared down at his hands now. She did not answer him for quite sometime. He glanced back at her and saw her eyes glaring at him with tears in them as she opened her mouth to speak.

"I am," Shinn said, all of a sudden. He sharply glanced at Shinn while Cagalli froze, her mouth opened slightly. In Shinn's eyes, he saw something that was indescribable. He looked on as Shinn clasped his hand over Cagalli's.

"I see," he only said, his expression unreadable. With that, he walked back into the mansion and straight back to the ball.

* * *


	7. Unexpecting News

**All right. Here's the new chapter..i'm guessing several of you guys gonna hate Meyrin in this chapter..hehe...again, thanks for the reviews. Also, you guys can vote for who should Cagalli end up with...**

* * *

"Why did you do that?" she asked Shinn as both of them were let alone. Shinn shrugged.

"Guess it is in my nature," he said. She sighed.

"In your nature? The first time I met you, you shove me so hard I thought my arm was going to fall off," she retorted while Shinn grinned.

"Well. I can't help it," he laughed. With a thought, he became solemn. "But now, I've changed," he said, his tone serious as he stared deep into her golden amber ones. She felt a blush coming on as he held her face in his hands.

* * *

Athrun stared up at the ceiling as he lay on his bed, thinking. He knew he should be happy for Cagalli. At last, she found someone she could be happy with. But something kept pulling at his heart.

"I'm really glad she found someone," he whispered, his expression unreadable. With that, he turned to his side and switched off the lights, leaving him in darkness.

* * *

"Bye Mommy!" the children waved as the mothers waved back. Cagalli sighed the moment her daughter was inside. Lacus smiled at her.

"You know. You should try waking up earlier next time. I'm getting really tired of having to wake you up," Kira said, ruffling Cagalli's golden hair. Instead of her usual snarling, she just sighed. Her brother stopped his ruffling and stared at her.

"What is the matter?" her sister-in-law asked. She shook her head.

"It's nothing. Just that I'm real tired that's all, she said. She looked at her watch and screamed. **GOD! I'M LATE!**" With that, she ran back to the car. Both her brother and Lacus looked at each other and followed her.

**ORB Headquarters **

"Ladies and gentlemen, I thank you for taking the time to come to our nation. I hope that we are able to work together towards peace," Cagalli said, shaking several of the politicians' hands while the media took their photos. Beside her, Kira was thanking several others as well. Smiling at an elderly politician from the Earth Alliance, she felt her brother stiffened. Wondering why, she looked up and saw the blue-haired Chairman of PLANT coming in her direction.

"Cagalli -" her brother started. She waved them off.

"Don't worry. I'm keeping it non-personal," she said. She then turned and smiled at Athrun.

"Chairman Zala. I am so glad that you were able to come for the Ball. We hope that Orb will be able to work together with PLANT," she said, lifting her hand to shake his. Athrun blinked at her and lifted his own hand. While shaking his hand, she felt the same electric thrills she thought she would never feel again. But she chose to ignore them.

"Athrun!" a voice called out. All of the people turned and she saw a certain pink-haired woman walking up towards Athrun. As the woman walked closer, Cagalli's smile faltered and she hid her eyes under her golden bangs. Only her brother and Shinn saw her movement.

"Meyrin. I thought you had gone back to PLANT," the blue-haired chairman said as the pink-haired woman stood beside him. She smiled and linked her arm with his.

"Well, I decided to return back with you. It seems lonely going back alone," she replied. She turned and realized that the princess of Orb was in front of her. "Princess Athha. I'm very glad to see you. As you can see, I've taken great care of Chairman Zala. There is no need for any worries now," she innocently said.

* * *

Beside her, she heard her brother took a sharp intake of breath. Taking a deep breath, she smiled at them. She saw Athrun blinked at Meyrin but again, she ignored it.

"Yes, and I see that you do have taken good care of the Chairman. I thank you for that," she said. Suddenly, Meyrin screamed, startling everyone.

"Shinn! What are you doing? How are you?" she asked, letting go of Athrun and coming to Shinn. Shinn smiled at her.

"Fine. I'm now the commander of Orb. So basically, I'm helping Cagalli," he answered, Meyrin looked at him shrewdly.

"Cagalli huh?" she said. Then, she linked her arm back with Athrun. "Anyway, guess what? I'm getting married!" she said.

"Really? To who?" Shinn asked, though he had already suspected who. He saw Athrun was already looking flustered. Meyrin blushed.

"I don't think you need to guess who already," she said coyly. The other politicians murmured among themselves.

* * *

She gazed out of the window and stared at the plane that carried the politicians. Seeing that they are gone safely, she turned back and walked. Her brother and Shinn looked at each other and then at her back.

"Cagalli? Are you all right?" her brother asked, catching up to her. She did not reply. Shinn walked up to them. All three walked out of the building in silence. "You guys wait here. I'll bring the car around," Kira said, already jogging to the car. Shinn stared at his back while Cagalli just stared at the ground.

So he was getting married. "Cagalli Yula Athha, you really are clueless as ever," she scolded herself, clenching her fists tight. "Why won't you ever get it into your thick skull that he is not the one for you?" she reprimanded. Suddenly, she felt herself being hugged. She looked up and saw that it was Shinn. He laid his cheek on the crown of her soft golden hair.

"It's okay. I know it hurts. You can let it go. No one is going to see it," he whispered. Hearing his kind words, she felt tears flowing down. Returning the hug, she wrapped her own arms tightly around his lithe body.

"It just wasn't fair. I've waited for him all of these years. I've kept myself for him for nearly seven years and look how he repays me. It hurts. It hurts real bad inside -" she sobbed, her tears wetting his front. Shinn tightened his hold on her, all this time letting her cry. A dark blue car rolled in but stopped a few feet away from them.

* * *

Kira stared hard at them. He tightened his grip on the steering wheel, wishing that it was Athrun's head. Ahead, he saw that Cagalli had moved away from Shinn and wiping the tears. Taking a deep breath, he relaxed his grip on the steering wheel and drove towards them. He heard both climbed in.

Looking at the rearview mirror, he saw his sister rested her head on Shinn's shoulder. Her cheeks glistened. He pulled his gaze away from her and looked at Shinn with concern. Shinn shook his head and stared back with sadness in his eyes. Kira sighed and put the car in gear.

* * *


	8. Feelings for Shinn?

**The new chapter's here...since most of you guys were wondering what happened to Lunamaria, I decided make a cameo of her here...this is just a big draft first...i might change several stuff here later...**

* * *

She opened her eyes and realized that she was still in the car. She looked out of the window. "Where are we?" she asked, placing a hand on her forehead.

"I'm sending you back home. You are in no condition to go to the office. So stay with Shinn until then," Kira said, throwing his words over his shoulder. She closed back her eyes.

"Thanks," she mumbled.

* * *

The car rolled to a stop in front of the Athha residence. Cagalli climbed out of the car and walked towards the entrance of the residence. Behind her, she heard Shinn murmured to Kira. Without waiting, she opened the door and walked in. She climbed the stairs and straight to her room. Once there, she flung herself onto her bed. She stared at the table next to her bed where a framed photograph was faced down.

A fresh new batch of tears threatened to spill. She blinked them away and placed the photograph into the drawer and locked it. She looked away from the table.

* * *

"Try to keep her mind away from Athrun," Kira said. Shinn nodded as he straightened himself up. He looked on as Kira rolled up the car window and drove off. Seeing him gone, he turned towards the house and walked in.

Without looking around, he knew that Cagalli was already in her room. He walked up to her room and opened the door softly. He peeked in and saw her asleep. Quietly he closed the door and walked away. He reached the den and flopped down on the sofa. Leaning back his head, he stared up at the ceiling. Unconsciously, he started frowning as he thought. Finally, he leaned forward in his seat and picked up the phone. He waited for the next line to pick up.

"Hello?" a voice said in the other line.

"It's me," he said.

"Shinn? How are you?"

"Fine. Busy. You?"

"The same as usual. So what's up?"

"Can't I just call you?" he said, a small smile played on his mouth. The voice made a snorting sound.

"Please. When **HAD **you ever call?" This caused him to laugh softly.

"Listen. I need to know something," he said, serious now.

"What is it?"

"Is it true about Meyrin and Athrun?" There was silence on the other line.

"Shinn…" the voice started. He sighed and leaned back again.

"Please. I just need to know. For someone's sake." Again, silence on the other line.

"Cagalli?" This time, he was silent. Suddenly, the voice laughed. "I knew it." Even though he knew that the person on the other line could not see him, he still blushed.

"Please Lunamaria." The voice sighed.

"It's true. It would seem that they had been engaged just a few months ago. I'm not sure if it was in the news in Orb, but here, it was."

At this piece of news he clenched his available hand into a tight ball. He tried to will down that anger that was threatening to burst out. "How could he," he thought, already blocking out his friend's voice.

"Shinn? Shinn!" his friend's voice blasted through his ear temporarily deafened him. He winced.

"I'm still here," he said. "So anyway, how is your life?" he asked, deliberately changing the subject. He heard a sigh from the other line.

"If you are asking how I am holding it up ever since you left, then I'm fine. In fact, I'm currently seeing someone now," his friend said. He grinned. From her tone, he knew she was blushing.

"Good for you. I thought that-" he started. His friend snorted.

"Please. I'm not going to pine away for you and waste my own life. You, by the way, have to more aggressive now. Don't lose this chance against Athrun," Lunamaria advised. He groaned. He knew now that the world was coming to an end when Lunamaria gave an advice.

"Yes. Yes. I know, I know. But the thing is-" he started again.

"But the thing is you're afraid her heart is still with him is it? What do you think?" she asked. At that question he hung his head, his black bangs covering his eyes.

"I don't know what to think anymore," he whispered, thinking that she could not hear.

* * *

She opened her eyes, still groggy from her nap. For a moment she had no idea where she was. But as she stared up at the ceiling she realized that she was at home. And the remembrance of that afternoon.

"Cagalli Yula Athha. Are you really this dumb and weak?" she groaned. "No. I'm not this weak and I will never be," she thought. With that thought and new determination, she rose up from her bed. "Who cares if he is getting married," she said grimly as she walked up to her wardrobe. With a flourish she threw opened the doors. Picking up her outfit, she walked into her bathroom.

As she walked down the stairs, she heard voices talking. Curious, she followed the voices which came from the den. There, she saw Shinn talking on the phone. She wondered who he was talking to.

"I don't know what to think anymore," she heard Shinn said. She watched as he listened to the other person on the line.

"I can't just g up to her and say I love her. That would be insane. Not to mention risk losing the friendly relationship between us," he argued. She tilted her head at this. "Who does he love?" she thought. At that thought, an image of Shinn and a woman flashed through her mind. Suddenly, she felt hurt and angered. "He couldn't. Could he?" she thought, the sadness now rising up. "Wait. Why am I sad?" she thought. She blinked at this new prospect.

"Fine. I see what I can do. Anyway, thanks Lunamaria," she heard him say, startling her out of her strange trance. Blinking, she saw he placed the receiver back on its hook. Quickly, she made her way out of the den and into the kitchen.

Placing her hands on the counter, she made herself took deep breaths. But the image of Shinn and an unidentified woman would not go away. This disturbed her more. She stared down at the countertop, frowning as she thought.

* * *

After saying his goodbyes to Lunamaria, he placed the receiver back on its hook. Resting his head against the sofa, he massaged his forehead. "Should I? Or shouldn't I?" he whispered. He tilted his head slightly and looked at the clock beside him. Staring at it, he realized that it was time to fetch the children. He stood up and walked into the kitchen. As he walked into the kitchen, he saw Cagalli frowning down at the countertop.

"Are you all right?" he said in her ear. At his voice, she screamed and jumped. He smiled at her sheepishly.

"Don't do that! God, you scared the daylights out of me," she said, glaring at him. He kept grinning at her. As he grinned, he saw her glancing at him from the corner of her eye. A blush worked its way to her cheeks.

"Are you blushing?" he asked, turning her face to him.

"N-no. Why should I be blushing?" she stammered, trying to pull her face away from his grip. He let her.

"I don't know," he shrugged. "The kids are going to be out soon. We better go and get them," he said, walking out of the kitchen. He heard her follow him from behind.

"Shinn," he heard her called out. He stopped and turned to face her. "Thanks for – you know. Being there for me always," she said, blushing again and looking down. He smiled and walked up to her. He tilted her chin up.

"No problem. You know I will always be by your side. No matter what," he said. "Come on. We don't want to be late again," he said, taking her wrist and pulling her gently to the entrance door. "You know what they will say again," he said, causing her to laugh.

* * *


	9. A New Revelation

**New chapter's up again...this is kind of a short chapter, so I'm very sorry...I'm quite busy with schoolwork, projects and stuff..and to add it up, I'm having a damn writer's block!**

* * *

As usual, by the time they got there, she could already see the children staring at the cars whizzing past. The car rolled to a stop and Cagalli climbed out of the car. She smiled as she looked on at both her daughter and nephew running towards her. As they got nearer, she saw they had similar mock angry faces.

"Mommy, you are late again," her daughter said with a pout. She stooped down to her level and plastered a sad face. At that, her daughter giggled before regaining her mock angry self. She felt Shinn coming to her side.

"Hey kiddo," she heard him called out to Kazuya. She heard her nephew giggled before regaining his own mock angry self. Inwardly she smiled.

Placing both of her palms together, she bowed at her daughter. "I'm very sorry. It won't happen again. You see, your uncle Shinn here was the one who was late," she said, making an excuse in the nick of time.

"What!" she heard him exclaimed. She grinned wickedly. She heard both her daughter and nephew giggling. She smiled.

"Hey how about we get something sweet before we go home?" she asked, holding out her hand to her daughter. Rosalynn smiled and nodded as she took her mother's hand. Cagalli turned and saw Kazuya already holding Shinn's hand. She smiled at her black-haired friend and climbed in the car.

* * *

She gazed at her black-haired friend as he talked with the children. She smiled as continued to gaze at him. "He has come a long way," she thought. When she met him the first time, he was glaring at her and blaming her for the deaths of his family. But after meeting Athrun and working with him, Shinn seemed to have found peace and even came back to the place where he swore he would never return.

Gently she placed her chin on her hand, she looked at Shinn. His red eyes that once were full of anger were now gentle. It seemed that he had fought off his demons and had found peace from within. She remembered the day he came back to Orb.

* * *

"_What do you think you are doing here?" she asked coldly. She stared at him from amidst the damages that Orb had after the final war. She saw him winced as he walked up to her. _

"_Princess-" he called out. She moved away from him swiftly. _

"_You have no right to call me that! You don't even want to be here, do you?" she spat at him, her anger in full throttle. She could not believe the nerve he had to return to Orb when it was in truth his fault that Orb had been reduced to this state. She could hear the cries and sadness of her people around as they mourned for their loved ones. She knew that it was not entirely his fault that Orb was like this but -. _

_She felt despondent and tired. Once again, the heavy burden of her responsibility as a Princess weighed her down. Suddenly, she felt arms surrounding her. She felt her hair being wet as he burrowed his head in her hair. _

"_I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry," he cried, repeating his apology over and over again. She felt her own tears threatening to spill. It was then she knew that hope was not really far from her grasp. She raised her arms and wrapped them around him. Together, they fell to the floor. As he cried, she held him in her arms.

* * *

_

"Cagalli? Cagalli?" she heard him called her, snapping her back to reality. She saw the three of them staring her. She blinked.

"What?" she asked blankly.

"Are you all right? You've been staring at your drink for some time," he said, pointing at her drink which was held at the same level as her face. She blushed and placed it down. She saw that the children had finished their ice-cream and was now playing around the fountain near the restaurant they were at. Leaning back, she gazed at her daughter and her nephew.

"What are you thinking?" she heard Shinn asked from beside her. She turned and saw that he had moved closer towards her.

"I'm thinking how peaceful life is now. No more war," she said, feeling the gentle breeze against her face as she looked back at the children. She tilted her head to face his profile. "What about you?" she asked. She saw him took a deep breath and looked up at the orange-filled sky.

"The same as you," he said, now looking down at the children. She smiled at his answer. As both stared at the children playing, a realization struck her. She loved having him near her. When he was near her, she always feels relaxed and happy no matter what the situation she was in. She felt safe with him around. She did not care if they did not talk or share the same thoughts, she just want him to be by her side always.

Then it dawned on her. She smiled as she felt lightened. "Come on. Let's go home," she said, standing up. He looked at her in confusion but followed from behind.

* * *


	10. Invitation

**A new chapter, a new day! Yes! Finally! I'm free from all schoolwork! My writer's block gone too! I like to thank you guys for waiting so patiently and thanks for the great reviews! Hope you enjoy this new one!**

* * *

He frowned at the papers in his hands and finally, placed them down. Massaging his temples, he rested his head on the head of the chair. 

"Chairman Zala?" his secretary called out, opening the door slightly. He looked at her. "There is a couple of letters for you and Ms Meyrin is here to see you sir," she said, walking up to him and handing the letters. Taking the letters, he nodded and the secretary closed the door. The door opened again and the pink-haired woman walked in.

"Athrun," she greeted to which he smiled at her. She sat one of the chairs available there. "I thought of having lunch together, seeing how you are always busy these few days," she said. He smiled at her concern.

"Sure, why not?" he shrugged. Meyrin smiled and stood. "Why don't you get the car and I meet you down?" he suggested. She nodded and exited the room. Once the door was closed, he stared at the letters. Picking one up, he opened the envelope and took out the invitation inside.

_'Chairman Zala, we thank you for taking the time to come down to Orb for the Peace Ball. And now, we invite you to a birthday party of both Ms Rosalynn Clyne Athha, daughter of Ms Cagalli Yula Athha and Kazuya Yamato, son of Mr. and Mrs. Kira Yamato. We hope that you are able to make it._

_Sincerely, Mr. Shinn Asuka.'_

"Shinn?" he read. "Why would he want to invite me to his daughter's party?" he wondered. Putting the birthday invitation down, he saw another letter with Cagalli's handwriting on it. Picking it up, he tore open the envelope and took out the letter inside.

_'Athrun, I hope you get this letter. If you do, I like to ask you to come for my daughter's birthday party this coming weekend. I hope you are able to make it. I don't mind if you want to bring Meyrin with you. We need to talk. _

_Cagalli.'_

"We need to talk?" he read again. Like the invitation, he placed it down and leaned back in his chair. He frowned at the ceiling. "What the heck is going on here?" he wondered.

* * *

Lacus hummed as she hung the decorations. Finished with hers, she looked around. Frowning, she walked up to her husband who was busy hanging the huge banner with Shinn. She waited until he climbed down the ladder and stood beside her. "Kira, do you know where Cagalli is?" she asked, scanning the area once again. She saw most of the servants helping out with the decorations but no sign of the golden-haired princess.

"Wasn't she here a minute ago?" he asked, wiping his hands. She shook her head and saw her husband scanning the area. He frowned and sighed. "Mana, do you know where your mistress has gone to now?" he asked a plump-looking woman nearby. The servant stopped her work and looked around again.

"I believe she is in the house. The last time I saw her, she was entering the house," the servant said before continuing her work. Kira nodded his thanks.

"I better go and check for her then," Shinn said, already making his way to the house. Lacus shook her head.

"It's all right Shinn. I think I better look for her," she said, smiling as she walked past the black-haired commander. She saw his face fell and her husband grinned behind Shinn's back.

* * *

She paced across the room, trying to determine if what she did was right. That was how Lacus found her when she entered Cagalli's bedroom. "Maybe I shouldn't have sent the letter. But if I don't send the letter, he will never find out. And he does find out, I'm sure he is going to kill me," she heard Cagalli mumbled. She giggled and Cagalli whipped her head to her.

"Lacus, it's just you," she breathed, placing a hand on her chest. Lacus closed the door behind her and sat on the bed. She patted beside her and Cagalli sat down.

"What do you mean 'Lacus, it's just you'?" she teased her sister-in-law. Cagalli smiled weakly and flopped down on the bed.

"I thought you were Kira or Shinn," she replied. Lacus looked at her, confused. "You see, I-I've sent a letter to Athrun," Cagalli replied her unspoken question. "I wrote that I need to talk to him," she said, not continuing after that. Lacus flopped beside her.

"You mean about Rosalynn?" she asked. Her golden-haired friend nodded. "Are you going to -" she asked tentatively. Cagalli shook her head furiously and sighed.

"The truth is-"

* * *

Once Lacus had entered the house, Kira clamped a hand on Shinn's shoulder. The black-haired commander turned and saw him grinning away like an idiot.

"Don't worry Shinn. There will be other times when you will be able to see her," Kira said, his amethyst eyes twinkling with mischief. Shinn turned around.

"I don't have any clue of what you're talking about," he sniffed and walked towards a box of decorations that was still not hanged yet. He heard the Head of Representative laughed.

"You know, you can't fool anybody. Just one look at you and they would already figured it now," Kira said, helping him with the remaining decorations. They worked in silent after that. "Did you send the invitation already?" Kira asked, breaking the silence. Shinn nodded and face the brown-haired man.

"Do you think it's right to meddle into her business? I mean if she finds out-" he grimaced, not wanting to think about it. The other man sobered, the decoration forgotten in his hands.

"I need answers. Beside if you don't tell her she would never find out," he said, shrugging. Shinn sighed and continued with the decorations.

* * *

"So what do you think?" she asked.

"I think it's great that you are going to tell him. Don't worry. It's going to be all right. Eventually everything will work out fine," she assured. Cagalli sighed at her and threw her arm over her eyes.

"But what if he don't have the same feeling?" she whispered, particularly to no one.

* * *

Cagalli looked around, anxious. She saw most of the children's friends and families were already here. But he was still not here. Twisting her hands, she paced around unable to keep still.

"What's wrong Cagalli?" a voice asked, behind her. She jumped and nearly shrieked. She looked behind and saw her brother grinning away like an idiot.

"Why is everyone giving me a shock! At this rate, I might have a real heart attack," she said, glaring at her brother. Her brother shrugged and laughed.

"Come on. Relax. It's a birthday party, not a funeral or anything like that. Rosalynn will be sad that you are not having fun," he advised. She let out her breath and tried to will her heart to calm down. She saw a shadow loomed over her and looked up. Again, she stifled a scream when she saw her brother staring intently at her with those amethyst eyes of his. She narrowed and stepped back.

"Why are you jumpy anyway?" he asked. She did not reply as she scanned the area again. He followed her action before looking back at her. "Who are you looking for? Shinn?" he asked. She shook her head. "Athrun?" she heard her brother asked in a very low and calm voice.

She turned back to her brother and laughed nervously. "Don't be silly. Why would I be looking for Athrun? I didn't invite him here," she replied back. With quick movements, she walked away from her brother before he could blink.

* * *

**Can you guys figure out what Cagalli is going to say to Athrun? Hehe **


	11. How did She Know?

**I guess several of you guys were still wondering if this is still a SxC or AxC..don't worry, it will remain a SxC, though I feel bad leaving Athrun out..hehe...anyway, again thanks for the reviews and hope you guys enjoy this new chapter! **

* * *

Once she was away from her brother, she let out a relieved breath. 

"Mommy?" a small voice called out. She looked up and saw her daughter several feet away. Rosalynn was staring at her with a concerned look.

"_Rosalynn will be sad that you are not having fun,_" her brother's voice played out in her mind. She smiled at her daughter as she walked up to the small golden-haired girl.

"Why aren't you playing with your friends?" she asked, ruffling her daughter's hair. The little girl wrinkled her nose and pouted.

"You don't look happy," the little girl said simply. She blinked at her daughter who stared back at her. When did Rosalynn become so mature? She shook her head and smiled back.

"Don't worry. I'm happy. In fact, let's go over to Kazuya and your friends there," she said, holding out her hand to her daughter. Rosalynn smiled and eagerly clasped her small hand to her mother's.

* * *

Kira smiled at some of the parents and made small conversations with them. But his eyes never left the door leading towards the backyard where the party was. His eyes narrowed when a certain blue-haired man appeared. 

"He's here," he thought. Making an excuse to a parent, he made his way to the blue-haired man who looked around in confusion. As he got nearer, Kira saw his former best friend turned and saw him. "Athrun," he said, stopping in front of the blue-haired man.

"Kira," Athrun greeted. Kira looked around and saw Cagalli playing with the children while Lacus talking to a parent. Shinn was nowhere in sight. He walked away from Athrun and further away from the party.

"Follow me," he said, throwing his words over his shoulders. Athrun blinked at this but obeyed. They continued to walk until he could no longer hear the party.

"Do you remember what you said before we fought the final battle that ended the enmity between the Naturals and the Coordinators?" Kira asked, as he stared up at the blue sky.

"I remember. I said that it doesn't matter. We would always have the same dreams and goals," Athrun said, remembering the time when he realized that Cagalli was not wearing the ring that he gave her. "When this is all over, I would come back for her," he continued. He saw Kira nodded.

"Then, why the HELL did you disappear? And not just 1 year or two. 6 DAMN LONG YEARS!" Kira said his voice laced with anger. Athrun blinked at the outburst. He had never seen Kira like this before. The brown-haired man glared at him with anger amethyst eyes as his hands were clenched into fists.

"I-" he started to say.

"**YOU WHAT! FIGURED THAT IT WAS A HASSLE COMING BACK TO ORB AFTER RETURNING TO PLANT! DO YOU KNOW HOW IT PAINS ME TO SEE HER-**" Kira exploded, stopping momentarily. Athrun blinked at this again, stunned.

"She what?" he thought. He absolutely had no idea of what Kira was talking about. "But Kira-"he started, a hand raised to clamp on the brown-haired man's shoulder. Kira whirled around and face him. He took a step back.

"**DAMN YOU ATHRUN! HOW COULD YOU DO THAT TO HER!**" Kira shouted, coming towards the blue-haired man with a raised fist.

"**KIRA YAMATO!**" a feminine voice shouted from out of nowhere. Kira stopped; his fist nearly hit Athrun's face. Both turned to the voice and saw Cagalli standing there with her hands on her hips. Beside her, Lacus sighed and shook her head. Cagalli stormed over to her brother and twisted his ear.

"Ouch! Damn Cagalli-" he started.

"Don't you damn me. What do you think you are doing?" she demanded. Her brother growled and glared at Athrun.

"Teaching that dumb moron a lesson. He should pay for making you c-" he started before yelping. Cagalli twisted his ear again.

"Just because you are my brother, it doesn't mean that you can defend me. Listen, I can fight my own battles," she said before releasing her brother. Kira grunted and walked towards his wife who softly snickered.

"Come on Kira. I think I hear Kazuya calling us," Lacus said, grabbing her husband's hand. She pulled Kira away from both Athrun and Cagalli. But Kira was reluctant and had to eventually be dragged away.

* * *

Cagalli sighed in relief when she saw her brother being pulled away. Before they disappeared around the corner, she saw Lacus winked at her. She sighed again as she placed a hand on her chest. That was too close. 

She turned to face Athrun who seemed to be in shock. Just looking at his face caused sharp knife-like pains through her heart. But nothing more.

"Cagalli, do you have any idea of what just happened? What was Kira talking about?" she heard Athrun asked.

"I think I do," she said. "But first, I need to get someone," she said. With that, she went off to find her daughter.

* * *

"You did what!" Lacus asked, her eyes widened with surprise. Kira winced, waiting for the impending lecture. But instead, she laughed. "Oh my god. I can't believe this. No wonder you guys are related," she gushed. Kira looked at his wife, confused. 

"What are you talking about?" he asked.

"It seems that you did the exact thing that Cagalli had done," she said. Kira frowned at this, thinking. Then, it dawned to him.

"You mean she invited Athrun here too?" he asked. Lacus nodded.

* * *

"Rosalynn!" Cagalli called out to her daughter. The little girl who was playing with her cousin came running towards her. 

"Mummy!" the little girl cried out. Cagalli smiled as she lowered herself to her daughter's height.

"Rosalynn, there is someone that I want you to meet," she said when a shadow loomed over both of them. The little girl looked up. Suddenly, her expression turned from happy to an unreadable one.

"Rosalynn, this is Mr. Athrun Zala," Cagalli said, choosing to ignore the expression on her daughter's face. She had to make this fast.

"Hello Rosalynn," Athrun said, smiling slightly. The little girl did not reply. Cagalli frowned in confusion. This was the first time she had seen her daughter not opening up to a stranger before. And Athrun was not an ordinary stranger.

"Rosalynn," Cagalli called out, trying to snap her daughter out of her strange trance. The little girl blinked and then ran to hide behind her mother's legs. "What's wrong Rosalynn?" she asked, carrying the little girl in her arms. The little girl burrowed her face into the side of her mother's neck.

"Uncle Shinn is my daddy," the little girl mumbled. At her words, Cagalli froze. How did she know?

"What are you talking about Rosalynn?" Cagalli said, her voice trembling. Though both were speaking in low voice, Athrun's heightened sense of hearing could hear everything.

"Uncle Shinn is my daddy," Rosalynn repeated again, more firmly.

* * *


	12. Past Love

**Ok guys, it's coming to an end now..and for those you guys who wanted this to be a AsuCaga fic, please wait a while longer..I just have to finish this one first...oh, please ignore the next chapter, I've made a glitch in there and for those who have read the chapter 13, I'm very sorry...**

* * *

His eyes widened with shock when he heard the little girl kept repeating the same sentence over and over again. "Is this what I think it is?" he thought. He gazed at the little girl, thinking. According to the invitation, the little girl was now seven. He counted back the years and then the months that Cagalli was pregnant.

His eyes widened more when he figured out the date. His whole body felt numb as he just stared at both mother and daughter.

"Cagalli," he called out finally. She heard his voice and slowly turned to face him. Just by hearing his voice, she knew that he had already figured out. Her grip around her daughter tightened. "Just answer one question," he said. "Were you ever going to tell me?"

Cagalli looked away from his face, unable to look at him straight in the eye. Slowly, she shook her head.

"And why not?" he asked, shocked and hurt. She looked at him and glanced away.

Moving away from him, Cagalli lowered her daughter. "Rosalynn, why don't you go and find your Aunt Lacus?" she said, gently pushing her daughter towards the party. The little girl looked at Athrun gingerly and sprinted away.

"The reason why I never told you-" she started as she turned to look at him. "You did not return back to me," she simply said, lowering her eyes to the ground. "When you were gone, I could not handle it," she said.

"…**DO YOU KNOW HOW IT PAINS ME TO SEE HER**…" Athrun remembered Kira said. "Pains me to see her…cry?" he whispered. But her next words snapped him out of his trance.

"But when I found out that I was with Rosalynn, it made me very happy," she said, smiling as she closed her eyes. Her hands automatically moved to her slim stomach. "It made me very happy to at least have a piece of you with you. Even though it was a very small one," she said, looking up at him. As he watched, her eyes glistened with unshed tears. Silence filled the air as Cagalli ended the last sentence.

"I actually thought of not telling you about Rosalynn. You could say payback for the six lonely years," she said. "But someone made me realize that revenge is not really that sweet. It just causes more pain," she said, smiling.

* * *

"…someone made me realize that revenge is not really that sweet. It just causes more pain," she said, smiling as she thought of a certain black-haired man. It was because of him that she was able to let go of the past and moved on with her life.

"Athrun, do you understand what I'm trying to say?" she asked. She watched as he took a breath and slowly nodded. She walked up to him and stopped only when they were face to face. She smiled wistfully.

"I loved you Athrun Zala. With all of my heart," she said, wrapping her arms around him. He followed suit.

"And I you," he whispered. She smiled as she hugged him tighter.

* * *

He leaned against the wall of the mansion and sipped his drink as he gazed around him. He could hear the happy cries of the children as they played and the murmurs of the parents as they conversed with one another.

He turned slightly and saw Kira being pulled away by Lacus from around the corner. He continued to look on as he pondered on it. Suddenly, he saw Cagalli coming out from the same corner and Rosalynn running up to her.

He watched on as Cagalli bent down and picked the little girl up. A shadow loomed behind them and she turned and walked back into the corner. He frowned as he walked towards them. He placed his glass on the tray held by a nearby servant and continued his way. As he got nearer, he saw Rosalynn ran out while looking back.

"Rosalynn," he called out and the little girl turned swiftly. She bumped into him and fell down. "Are you all right?" he asked, lowering himself down. He saw that her golden bangs fell forward and he could not read her expression. "Rosalynn?" he called out again, his hand brushing away the bangs behind. He faltered when he saw tears streaming down her soft cheeks.

"He is not my daddy," he heard her soft little voice murmured, trembling a little. Suddenly, the girl looked up at him. "Uncle Shinn," she cried, lunging into his arms. With ease, he caught the little girl in his arms. Rosalynn quickly laid her head on his shoulder as he straightened himself up.

"It's all right," he consoled, rubbing her back. He continued to console her with soothing words but he frowned up at where Rosalynn had come out from.

* * *

"Come on Kira," Lacus crooned. Her husband chose to ignore her and stared sulkily in front. She sighed. "Everything is going to be fine. She knows what she is doing," she said. Her husband whipped his head towards her.

"The hell she is," he said. "When it comes to him, her common sense flies right out of the window for sure," he said, narrowing his amethyst eyes. His wife did not reply him.

"Lacus," he heard Shinn called his wife from behind. He turned and saw the black-haired man walking towards them with Rosalynn in his arms. "Can you put Rosalynn in her room? She fell asleep," he said. Lacus nodded and held out her arms. Slowly he gave Rosalynn to her. Once he had transferred Rosalynn to Lacus, Kira saw the black-haired man walking towards the area where Cagalli and Athrun were. At that moment, he had a sinking feeling in his stomach.

"Shinn," he called out. The black-haired man stopped in his tracks and looked back. He shook his head.

"Don't worry," he heard his friend said. But that feeling would not go away.

* * *

After what felt like hours, she opened her eyes again and saw that she was still in Athrun's arms. Tenderly, she removed herself and she felt him instinctively tried to pull her closer. It appeared that he had not understood her yet. Firmly, she pulled away from him.

"Athrun," she said as she shook her head. "I've always had a great time just being with you. But our time together is over. It is time to move on," she said, a wistful smile played on her mouth. She tiptoed and placed a soft kiss on his cheek. "I will always cherish the memories we've made together," she whispered.

"I'm not marrying her," he said. She shook her head.

"Even so," she started. "I've finally found the one who had always been there for me. When I'm near him, I feel safe. In a way, he is like you," she said, smiling. "Always keeping me safe. But he has done much more. He was there when I was sad. He has helped me bring Rosalynn up all these years," she said.

* * *

"…helped me bring Rosalynn up all these years," he heard her say. He frowned as jealousy threatened to spill over. But he knew that being jealous was no use. He had failed her all these years. He saw her face glowed and a soft pink tainted her cheeks as she talked about Shinn.

"I understand now Cagalli," he said, lowering his head slightly. His dark blue bangs fell forward, covering his eyes. He then looked back up and smiled. "I'm glad that you've found someone who truly cares for you," he said. His voice was clear and no sign of anger or sadness in it. "The only thing I really regret is not being there for Rosalynn all these years. I'm sure she hates me," he said.

She laughed and shook her head. "No one could ever hate you Zala," she said. "I'm sure that after spending time with her, she will open up. It just needs time," she advised.

* * *


	13. Author's Note

**Author's Note:**

**Very sorry about the huge mess in Chapter 12 and 13. Realized about the mistake after reading the whole story through. So, I removed Chapter 13 and will be re-posting soon. For those who have read on so far, thanks for reading and reviewing. Also, I've edited the whole Chapter 12 so read up everyone!**


	14. Twinned Souls

**Sorry if I've been late in updating..just had tons of work to do and so little time to write..luckily, had an inspiration yersterday night, so I knew I just had to write it down before it disappears...well, here's the second final chapter..hope you guys enjoy this! I know I did! Thanks for the great reviews guys! **

* * *

"…someone made me realize that revenge is not really that sweet. It just causes more pain."

"Athrun, do you understand what I'm trying to say?"

"I loved you Athrun Zala. With all of my heart."

"And I you."

He closed his eyes as he leaned his head against the wall. His dark bangs slid forward, hiding his eyes. After a while, he pushed himself away from the wall and walked off. He could not bring himself to be part of the celebration any longer, so he entered the mansion and made himself walked all the way back to where his car was parked in the front of the house.

He did not realize where he was driving to until he was almost reaching there. A while later, he saw that he was near the beach. This was where they had always had their evening walks, doing nothing but enjoying each other's company. He pulled up beside the sandy beach and cut the engine. Silence filled the air as he leaned back, his sable bangs covering his eyes as he rested his head on the headrest. No sooner had his head touched the back of the seat, silvery trails made their way down his cheeks.

Few minutes later, he felt that he had himself under control. He unhooked his seatbelt and climbed out of the car. He looked over at the horizon where the clear blue sky touched the blue-green sea. He made his way towards the shore where he stood as the wind billowed gently around him. The surface of the ocean was as smooth and still as the glass and the silence was as thick and heavy as mist. There were a few occasional cries of the sea gulls but nothing more. After a while, he could feel himself becoming relaxed and the tight feeling in his chest had begun to dissipate.

His eyes turned wistful with the thought that soon he would have to get on with his life. Without Rosalynn. And without Cagalli. At that last thought, he slipped a hand into his pocket and pulled out a small velvet box. He released the catch and pulled open the top of the box. Without moving, he just stood there as he stared into the opened box.

* * *

"Well Zala, are you going to stay around for the party?" she asked, placing a hand on her hip. She watched as he smiled and ruffled her golden hair.

"Why not? This might also be a good time to brush up on my parenting skills. Besides, I've nothing to do anyway," he shrugged. She smiled and nodded in approval.

"That's the spirit Zala. In no time soon, my daughter will be putty in your hands," she joked. He shook his head in resignation. "Well then, let's go and join the party. Besides I've yet to meet my chosen love," she said, grabbing hold of his hand. She pulled him out to the backyard where the parents and children were still there. She let go of him and scanned the area for a certain black-haired man. She frowned when she could not find him.

"Where is he?" she murmured. "He should have been here by now," she said, particularly to no one. As she turned, she saw Kira making his way towards her. "Kira! Have you seen Shinn anywhere?" she asked.

"He was here, but soon left. The last time I saw him was around that area," her brother said, pointing to where she and Athrun was. She froze when she saw where Kira was pointing at. Her brother slowly faced her again and she saw the pointed look that he had on. It was then she knew that Shinn had heard almost everything.

"Did he say where he was going?" she asked, her chest feeling tighter by the minute. She had to know if he had heard everything or just part of it. Her brother shook his head and she felt like she could not breathe. She turned abruptly and made her way towards the mansion.

"Where are you going?" Kira asked. She did not reply as she pulled the door open and walked in.

* * *

"Where is he?" she whispered, twisting and clenching her hands. Athrun gave a side glance at her before turning his attention back to the road. It was already late in the afternoon and they had driving around for hours but they could not still find Shinn.

"Don't worry Cagalli. I'm sure we find him," Athrun tried to console the golden-haired woman seated beside him. When he heard that Shinn might have misunderstood the conversation between him and Cagalli, he had offered to search for the missing black-haired man.

"What if he gets the wrong idea about us?" she said, her voice trembling slightly. He blinked upon hearing her trembling voice. This was the first time he heard the fear in her voice.

"Is there any other place you can think of where he might have gone to?" he suggested. "A café? The park?" he suggested. She shook her head but stopped abruptly.

Suddenly, she knew where he was. "The beach," she said.

* * *

He watched as the sky turned from clear blue to a bright orange. Suddenly, he heard running footsteps behind him.

"Shinn!" he heard his name being called out by a feminine voice. He turned slightly and saw Cagalli running towards him.

"I knew that I'd find you here!" she exclaimed, her voice hoarse. Before he could respond, she lunged towards him. Taken off-guard, he just stood there as she wrapped her arms around him and held him tightly.

"Cagalli, what are you doing here?" he asked, looking down at her.

"You are an idiot," she whispered into his chest. She pulled away slightly and looked up at him. Tears shone in her eyes as her bottom lip trembled slightly. "Did you ever think of listening to us a bit more before deciding to make a disappearing act?" she asked, her forehead creased into a frown.

"How did you know I was list-" he started.

"Kira told me that you were there the whole time, listening to us," she interrupted. "So what did you conclude?" she asked.

"Cagalli, don't," he said, looking away. He could not bear to see her face with those golden amber eyes. "No matter what, I'll always be your friend," he said. He made himself say those words even though his heart felt like it was being stabbed.

"My friend?" she repeated as he pulled away from her gently. "Is that what you think you are to me?" she asked. He nodded, his hands balled into tight fists by his sides. Silence greeted them again as he stood there, waiting.

"Did you ever think that you just might be more than just a friend to me?" she said in a whisper. He might not have caught it if not for his enhanced sense of hearing. "I love you Shinn Asuka," she said, placing a hand on his cheek. "I want to be with you no matter what," she whispered. At that exact moment, her tears fell and made silvery trails on her cheeks.

He could not believe his ears. It was exactly then that he could finally breathe easily. His heart felt like it would break free from its cage. He snapped out of his stupor when he saw her tears fell. He raised a hand and gently wiped away those silver tears.

"And I want to be with you," he whispered. Her eyes widened with pleasure and love.

* * *

"And I want to be with you," she heard him whispered. Pleasure exploded within her as she looked up into those red eyes of his. She smiled tearfully and tried to wrap her arms around him. But he would not allow her. She frowned when she saw he grinned at her. She watched as he slipped a hand into his pocket and pulled something out. She caught her breath when she saw a small velvet box in his hand.

She glanced up at him as he smiled and pulled open the box, revealing a golden ring with a small teardrop-shaped sapphire.

"When the white snow colors the city, let me stay by your side," he whispered, gently pulling her left hand towards him. "When the white snow melts and the city becomes vivid and colorful, I like to keep you closest to my heart," he said, gently sliding the ring up her fourth finger. "Marry me," he whispered into her ear. Tears threatened to fall again and she made a soft sound.

Once he pulled away from her, she tiptoed and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Don't you know?" she whispered, bringing her mouth close to his ear. "Souls like ours stick together. For a lifetime," she said. "This is what they call twinned souls."

He smiled at her answer and wrapped his own arms around hers. Though they were only there for a few minutes, it felt to him like a lifetime. Pulling slightly away from each other, they gazed into each other's eyes with a hint of blush tainted on their cheeks. He made the first move and slowly brought his head closer to hers. She tightened her grip around his neck and followed his action. Lips touched each other just as the orange sun slowly made its way down to meet the dark waters of the sea at the horizon.

* * *


	15. Carols for Love

**And finally, here's the final chapter! It just makes me so sad to actually end a story..but all good things must come to an end..hope you guys like this chapter! **

* * *

She stared at the mirror, a young happy woman smiled back at her. Behind her, Lacus smiled back as she placed the headdress atop her shiny golden hair. From inside her room, both heard the commotion outside and giggled when they heard Kira shouting. Once the headdress was in place, Lacus lowered her pink head onto Cagalli's bare shoulder. 

"You are doing the right thing," she said. Her golden-haired friend smiled back at her, her golden amber eyes shining.

"I am, aren't I?" she asked. Her sister-in-law nodded, the pink hair swished with the movement.

"Come on. It is time to go," Lacus said, straightening herself up and holding out a hand to Cagalli. She took her hand willing and rose up. Once stood up, Lacus began brushing the white dress and lowered the veil over her face. "Ready?" she asked. Cagalli nodded and took the bouquet of white roses from Lacus. Together, they walked out of the room.

* * *

Outside, she felt the cold breeze bit her shoulders gently but ignored it. She was just too excited to feel the cold. She turned and looked up at the huge mansion behind her. She smiled when she saw a very faint image of her father looking down at her from behind one of the windows. A pearl-shaped tear rolled down her cheek when she saw him nodded in approval. 

"Cagalli, time to go," she heard her brother called out from behind her. She turned and nodded, blinking her tears away. She turned back only to find that her father was gone. "Goodbye Father," she whispered and looked away. Up ahead, she saw her brother and his wife smiling at her and holding out their hands to her.

She smiled and gave the bouquet to Lacus. Grasping her brother's hand, she climbed aboard the white carriage. Seeing that she was safe inside, both Kira and Lacus followed suit. Kira tapped the roof of the carriage lightly, indicating to the driver to start moving. Outside, the driver heard the tap and lightly whipped the reins, motioning for the six white horses to move.

As soon as the carriage began to roll down the street, Cagalli scooted over to the side and waved at the very people who had taken care of her ever since she was little. She saw her nanny, Mana, wiped away her tears and the other servants waved enthusiastically back at her. She continued to wave until she could no longer see them. She moved back to her seat and looked out of the window. A little bit more and they would already reach the church. She looked down and saw the gleam of her engagement ring. She smiled, lost in her memories.

* * *

The sound of people whistling and clapping snapped her out of her dreamy state. She looked up and saw that they had already arrived. Outside, two smartly dressed men came forward and one opened the carriage door. The other assisted her down and later Lacus. Outside, her people called out to her and waved. She looked around and saw that all of Orb's residents were there. She smiled, appreciated the warm gestures of her people. 

"Cagalli," she heard the soft voice of her brother. She looked at him and saw him holding out his hand to her. "It's time," he softly said, smiling. She nodded and raised her hand to grab his. Just as her hand touched his, white flakes softly dropped from the sky. Everyone looked up and was awed by the sight. She, too, looked up and through her white veil a white flake dropped on her cheek. She closed her eyes momentarily, feeling the soft caress. It felt like her father was caressing her cheek. "It's perfect," she whispered. She looked at her brother and nodded.

Kira smiled and linked her arm with his. He turned to his wife and gestured for her to enter the church first. After a while, both began to hear the music playing. Straightening herself up, both she and Kira walked in.

Once inside, she heard the melodic tunes of the song chosen by her chosen-to-be. She smiled as she caught on the meaning of the song.

_Do you remember the first day we met even now?_

_You looked abashed, hanging your head_

_And turning your eyes away_

She did remember the first time they met. Though he was hanging his head, she knew that he was not abashed. "But you did turned your eyes away in anger," she thought, giggling a bit.

_I wonder when such a manner became so dear to me_

_It makes me feel a little nostalgic_

_Don't you feel so?_

Every thing he did in the past made her nostalgic, even now. And she knew that he was feeling it too.

_Many seasons have passed by_

_With quick steps since then_

She knew that it was far too long that she had not seen him. She kept thinking about him, day and night. Though not romantically. But eventually, just thinking about him made her heart beat even faster. "Even now," she thought.

_When the white snow colors the city_

_Let me stay by your side_

_Though I may bother you_

_Again and again_

She remembered the time he proposed to her. "When the white snow colors the city, let me stay by your side," he had whispered. She sniffed a little now.

_We talked overnight about our future and the moments_

_I felt they were so dazzling_

_And precious_

Ever since he proposed, they had stayed up every night talking about their future, their moments together and the past. It must have gotten loud because her brother had burst into the room one night and warned them to keep it down.

_Tears welled up in my eyes_

_When I thought it would be nice_

_That I could forgive my past some day_

"And because of you I was able to let go of the past and forgive it at the same time," she thought, her eyes glistened.

_When the white snow melts_

_And the city becomes vivid and colorful_

_I like to keep you closest _

_To my heart_

She knew that even when the magical time of the snow had ended, he would always keep her close to him.

_The days we couldn't understand each other and parted_

_The days of tears, the days of smiling faces_

_Whatever may happen and whatever mood you may be in_

_I'll always accept you_

She was getting closer to the altar by now. She could feel the warm presence of her friends surrounding her. But she only needed one. And he was directly ahead of her, smiling back at her with those smiles of his. Her brother positioned her beside her chosen and kissed her cheek before moving away from her. She turned to her chosen and allowed him to lift up the veil. She felt his finger wiping away the stray tear that had stayed on her cheek.

She looked up and saw the love in those red eyes of his. She let her eyes roamed over his face and giggled softly when she saw his unruly black hair.

"Whatever may happen and whatever mood you may be in, I'll always accept you," she whispered, repeating the last words of the song. She saw his eyes widened slightly.

"When the white snow melts and the city becomes vivid and colorful, I like to keep you closest to my heart," he replied back. She smiled broadly and slipped her hand in his. She turned to her right and gave her bouquet to Lacus who sniffed. Before turning back, she looked back at her smiling daughter who sat on Athrun's lap. She winked at her daughter who giggled and whispered into her father's ear. She saw Athrun smiled and nodded at her. She smiled back and finally turned to the kindly blind priest who smiled at her.

"We are gathered here-" he began.

* * *

**By the way, to clear things up, both father and daugther (Rosalynn and Athrun) are finally able to be a family once again. Seems like all of his effort in getting toknow his daughter had paid off! Also, how did Rosalynn know about Athrun being her father? Well, it seems that a certain mischievous golden-haired Cagalli look-alike opened a certaind drawer and saw the picture of the blue-haired coordinator. Being curious by nature, she asked a certain brown-haired uncle about the picture and he reluctantly told her everything. On side note, if you guys like a sequel or a nything like that, let me know! I just love Cagalli/Shinn pairing!**


	16. Author's Note Part 2

**Hey everyone! I like to thank every one of you guys who reviewed Twinned Souls! It makes me sad to actually end that story but I need to do it for you guys who've waited patiently for all of the updates. Also, I like to tell you guys of my new story/sequel. You may take it as a sequel if you like. It's a Asu/Caga fanfic. Here's a sneak preview:

* * *

She looked out of her window and watched as white flakes fell one after another, covering the whole city in a blanket of white. Normally, the mere sight of snow would make her feel excited and happy. But now, tears threatened to spill over as she raised a hand to touch the cool glass. It was then she saw the gleam of her wedding ring. Silver tears ran down her cheeks as her shoulders shook. She balled her hand into a tight fist as she lowered her head, her golden bangs hiding her eyes.**

With a sudden, she slammed her fist against the glass pane, causing the glass to tremble. "It's not fair! How could you do this to me!" she cried out, raising her head to frown at the heavens above. "Father!" she cried out. Only silence replied her back. "It's not fair. Bring him back to me," she cried as she slid down. "Bring him back," she cried repeatedly, resting her forehead on the cool glass pane.

* * *

Brown bangs hid amethyst eyes as he leaned back against the wall. He heard her cry inside and clenched his fists at his sides, unable to do anything to lessen her pain. Footsteps echoed across the corridor and he looked up to find a beautiful pink-haired woman gazing at him from across the corridor with those bright blue eyes of hers. In those eyes, he saw sympathy, concern and sadness reflected back to him. He watched as she made her way towards him and placed a gentle hand on his shoulder.

"How is she?" the pink-haired woman asked in her soft lilting voice. He closed his eyes and shook his head. Using his head, he gestured towards the door that he was standing next. She looked over him and walked up to the door. Just outside, she could hear the hoarse cries inside. Her chest tightened just by listening to the hopelessness the cries conveyed. Unable to hear the cries anymore, she raised her hand to the doorknob only to be stopped by the brown-haired man. She looked at him to see him shaking his head.

"Leave her be. She needs to be alone," he simply said. She stared deep into his amethyst eyes and then spared a glance at the door. She nodded understandingly and lowered her hand. The brown-haired man steered her away from the door. Before walking off, he glanced at the door and his eyes softened. He turned back and walked off.

* * *

Hours must have passed by but she felt like it was only minutes after hearing the news. No matter how many times she kept repeating it in her head, she would never believe it.

"You promised," she whispered, looking at both her wedding and engagement rings. They shone as if to mock her of her stolen happiness. "You promised that whenever the snow colors the city, you would always be by my side," she continued. She looked out of the window again. "It's snowing now. So why aren't you with me?"

* * *

A little girl looked out of the window and saw the snow blanketing the city. Like her mother, she loved the snow but not today. She heard a sound behind her and turned to see the pink-haired woman and the brown-haired man standing in the doorway. She glanced away.

"Daddy's not coming home, is he?" she asked, her golden bangs hiding her deep green eyes. She missed the look the woman gave to the man. She was extremely bright for a girl of 10. The woman walked up to her and lowered herself to the little girl's height. She placed a hand under the girl's chin and nudged for the little girl to look at her. Tears made those green eyes gleamed and her own eyes filled with tears.

"Even if your father's not coming home, you still have us right?" she said, placing a soft smile on her face. The girl pulled her face away from the woman.

"But Daddy's the only one who makes Mama happy," she said, lowering her head again. Twin drops of silver tears fell and onto the soft carpet, making two dark circles on it. Another presence surrounded her. She looked up and saw the brown-haired man kneeling beside her.

"But Rosalynn's still here. Mama will be very happy if Rosalynn is happy. Besides, Rosalynn needs to be a big sister for your brothers," he said, ruffling the little girl's golden locks.

"But-" the little girl started. The man shook his head.

"Your father will not be very happy, seeing all of his family sad over him. He wants everyone to be happy. And besides, he is not gone. He is still here with you in here," he said, placing a hand over his heart.

* * *

**Hope you guys like that sneak preview. To all those who actually loved the Shinn/Cagalli pairing, I'm not sure if you will like this one cause after the first story where both Shinn and Cagalli got married, he sort of died in this one. I need him to 'die' for this fanfic to work. So sorry! Also, I like to dedicate this next story those Asu/Caga fans! Twinned Souls is dedicated to those who reviewed and those Shinn/Cagalli fans! Oopss..before I forget, the nect story's title is...Silver Tears Of The Blue Sky...**


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